EU Information

The European Union is a political as well as economic union comprising of more than 27 member states comprising of countries which are primarily located in Europe. It is a kind of a family of democratic European countries who have committed to working together for prosperity as well as for peace in the region. Here is some basic information about the European Union, just to give you a glance on why it is one of the most favored destinations to live and work in the entire world.

Travel:

Travelling the European Union, whether for a holiday or business, has become much easier, thanks to the Union. It has in fact taken several measures to help people know about the entire process of travelling in Europe. It also has an official website-http://europa.eu/travel/index_en.htm- which provides information about travelling in all the 27 countries of the European Union.

Culture:

Due to the integration of 27 countries, the European culture is considered to be a massive one and there is a collation of many languages and religions. However, this has only united the Union and it is working on ways on how to sustain its rich and varied culture. Improving cultural relations and co-operation forms the core of the European Union.

The EU has taken loads of state to promote cultural relations among the member states. Whether it be the Maastricht Treaty or the seven year Culture 2000 programme or he European Cultural month event and the Media Plus programme or the EU Youth Orchestra or the European Capital of Culture programme, the European Union has always taken steps from time to time to boost the cultural relationship among the member states. Of these, the European Capital of Culture programme is carried on a large scale as it involves one or cities in the European Union are selected for a period of one year so that they can be developed culturally.

Life:

Life in European Union has been the most crucial part because; there are plenty of countries that are ranked at the top in terms of having the highest standard of living. As many as four countries from the European Union are in the top ten lists of countries released by the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report having the highest development index (HDI). The EU is also known as the fair and caring society thanks to the policies of the EU countries that aim to care about people in EU.

Work:

Ever since its establishment, the European Union has set only one objective-to create a single market for all of the member states of the Union. This has really worked and it is evident from the fact that the European Union has now become the largest economies in the world. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the year 2009 stood at $14.8 trillion which accounted for 21% of the total global economy.

The European Union is hence attracting loads of young people and entrepreneurs. It has already started taking the necessary steps to make the working environment more conducive to businesses and is providing all the necessary financial and technical support for those willing to start a business or work in the Union. The European Union has lately started taking initiatives to expand the working opportunities for Non-European citizens.

For this, it is bringing in the necessary amendments in its legislations and has started encouraging the immigration of non-EU citizens. Those with a quality degree and the requisite skills are now welcomed in the Union. It has also achieved positive results in its endeavor of providing the right to mobility to the people. EU allows all its citizens to work and live anywhere in the EU carriers and that too with the entitlements of social benefits such as healthcare.

People:

The continent of Europe has always been known for its different languages and traditions but with united values. The European Union also reflects these values. The combined population of the European Union as of October 2010 stands to a mammoth 501,064,211 which accounts for a total of 7.3% of the entire world.

Visas:

The European Union issues two lists with respect to issuing visas. These lists include a white list and the black list. The white list includes countries where there is no need for nationals to procure a visa whereas the black list contains the name of the countries whose nationals are required to carry a visa while entering the European Union. Apart from this, there are as many as 37 countries whose nationals don’t require carrying a visa while visiting the European Union these countries includes the United States, Japan, Croatia, New Zealand and Australia. However, the list of countries that don’t require visas to visit United Kingdom and Ireland is different from that of the EU. You can travel to all the countries of the Schengen region if you apply a visa from a country that applies Schengen rules. However, if you wish to visit countries that are not part of Schengen countries then you will have to apply for a visa.

This was some of the basic information about the European Union. The Union is undergoing a major reorganization in the recent past and efforts are being made to transfer power from the national level to Brussels, the Headquarters of the Union. The Union has also undertaken numerous initiatives which promises further liberalization of the Union which will provide lots and lots of opportunities not only for the residents of the Union but also to people from all parts of the world.